Image forming apparatus for printing out sheets of a document one by one as they are input in electronic sort mode

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for reading an image of a document; means for storing the image read by the reading means; means for setting image forming conditions at a time of forming the image stored in the storing means on an image-forming medium; first output means for, every time the reading means reads images of sheets of a document sheet by sheet, printing images corresponding to the read images one by one; second output means for, after the first output means prints images corresponding to all sheets of the document one by one, printing images which have not been printed out yet in accordance with the image forming conditions; third output means for, after the storing means stores all images corresponding to sheets of the document, printing images corresponding to all sheets of the document; and means for enabling the first and second output means or the third output means in accordance with the image forming conditions set by the setting means.

Claim 3

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for changing a usage for an area in the storing means where no image is stored to a usage for a memory area for the second and third output means, after to-be-stored images corresponding to all sheets of the document are stored in the storing means by the reading means.

Claim 4

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second and third output means include: means for outputting the images of the document in a sort mode, and outputting one set of all images of the document in a document inputting order first and then repeating such outputting by a number of copies in accordance with the image forming conditions including a number of copies set by the setting means, thereby printing the images corresponding the sheets of the documents in a named operation order.

Claim 5

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second and third output means include: means for outputting the images of the document in a group mode, and outputting an image of a first sheet of the document in an inputting order by a number of copies, outputting an image of a second sheet of the document in the inputting order by the number of copies, an outputting images of remaining sheets of the document in a same manner, in accordance with the image forming conditions including a number of copies set by the setting means, thereby printing the images corresponding the sheets of the documents in a named operation order.

Claim 6

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second and third output means include: fourth output means for, after temporary storage of a predetermined limited number of image forming media on which images of the documents are formed and which are output by the second and third output means, outputting the image forming media outside the apparatus.

Claim 7

An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the fourth output means includes: fifth output means for outputting the image forming media outside the apparatus when a number of image forming media temporarily stored in accordance with the image forming conditions becomes a predetermined number.

Claim 8

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second and third output means include: fourth output means for combining a plurality of images of the document, forming a combined image on one of image forming media on which images are to be formed, and outputting the image forming media.

Claim 9

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for inputting a confirmation signal by an operator indicating the printed and output image forming media is proper after the first output means prints and outputs all images corresponding to the document; means for inhibiting an output of the third output means when the confirmation-signal inputting means has not received the confirmation signal from the operator; and means for performing control in such a way as to cause the third output means to make printing in accordance with the image forming conditions after all images corresponding to the document are printed and output one by one by the first output means, when the confirmation signal is input by the inputting means.

Claim 10

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second and third output means include: fourth output means for outputting the images of the document in a sort mode, and outputting one set of all images of the document in a document inputting order first and then repeating such outputting by a number of copies in accordance with the image forming conditions including a number of copies set by the setting means, thereby printing the images corresponding the sheets of the documents in a named operation order; fifth output means for outputting the images of the document in a group mode, and outputting an image of a first sheet of the document in an inputting order by a number of copies, outputting an image of a second sheet of the document in the inputting order by the number of copies, an outputting images of remaining sheets of the document in a same manner, in accordance with the image forming conditions including a number of copies set by the setting means, thereby printing the images corresponding the sheets of the documents in a named operation order; sixth output means for, after temporary storage of a predetermined limited number of image forming media on which images of the documents are formed and which are output by the second and third output means, outputting the image forming media outside the apparatus; and seventh output means for outputting the image forming media outside the apparatus when a number of image forming media temporarily stored in accordance with the image forming conditions becomes the predetermined limited number.

Claim 11

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for reading images of a plurality of documents; means for storing the images read by the reading means; first image forming means for forming the images one by one every reading of one of the documents by the reading means, and forming the stored images in the storing means corresponding to a given image forming condition after the storing means finishes storing all of the images to be stored: second image forming means for forming the stored images in the storing means corresponding to the given image forming condition after the storing means finishes storing all of the images to be stored; means for determining whether the first image forming means or the second image forming means forms images corresponding to the given image forming condition; and means for controlling one of the first or the second image forming means determined by the determining means so as to form the images.

Claim 12

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for reading images of a plurality of documents; means for storing the images read by the reading means; first image forming means for forming the images one by one every reading of one of the documents by the reading means, and forming the stored images in the storing means corresponding to a given image forming condition after the storing means finishes storing all of the images to be stored: second image forming means for forming the stored images in the storing means corresponding to the given image forming condition after the storing means finishes storing all of the images to be stored; means for determining whether the first image forming means or the second image forming means forms images corresponding to the given image forming condition; and means for controlling one of the first or the second image forming means determined by the determining means so as to form the images.

Claim 13

An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first and second image forming means includes: means for outputting the images of the documents in a sort mode, and outputting one set of all images of the documents in a document inputting order first and then repeating such outputting by a number of copies in accordance with given image forming conditions, thereby printing the images corresponding the sheets of the documents in a named operation order.

Claim 14

An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first and second image forming means includes: means for outputting the images of the document in a group mode, and outputting an image of a first sheet of the document in an inputting order by a number of copies, outputting an image of a second sheet of the document in the inputting order by the number of copies, an outputting images of remaining sheets of the document in a same manner, in accordance with given image forming conditions, thereby printing the images corresponding the sheets of the documents in a named operation order.

Claim 15

An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first and second image forming means includes: means for, after temporary storage of a predetermined limited number of image forming media on which images of the documents are formed and which are output by the first and second image forming means, outputting the image forming media outside the apparatus in accordance with given image forming conditions.

Claim 16

An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the storing means includes: first storing means for directly storing the images read by the reading means; means for compressing the images stored in the first storing means; and second storing means for storing the images compressed by the compressing means.

Claim 17

An image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controlling means includes: second controlling means for performing control in such a way as to cause the first image forming means to perform image forming using the images stored in the first storing means at a time the plurality of images corresponding to the series of sheets of the document are formed, set by set.

Claim 18

An image forming method comprising the steps of: reading images of a plurality of documents; storing the images read by the reading step; first image forming step for forming the image one by one every reading of one of the documents by the reading step, and forming the stored images in the storing step corresponding to a given image forming condition after the storing step finishes all of the images to be stored; second image forming step for forming the stored images in the storing step corresponding to the given image forming conditions after the storing step finishes all of the images to be stored; determining whether the first image forming step or the second image forming step corresponding to the given image forming conditions; and controlling one of the first or the second image forming steps determined by the determining step so as to form the images.

Claim 19

An image forming method comprising the steps of: reading images of a plurality of documents; storing the images read by the reading step; first image forming step for forming the image one by one every reading of one of the documents by the reading step, and forming the stored images in the storing step corresponding to a given image forming condition after the storing step finishes all of the images to be stored; second image forming step for forming the stored images in the storing step corresponding to the given image forming conditions after the storing step finishes all of the images to be stored; determining whether the first image forming step or the second image forming step corresponding to the given image forming conditions; and controlling one of the first or the second image forming steps determined by the determining step so as to form the images.

Claim 20

An image forming method according to claim 16, wherein the first and second image forming step includes: a step of outputting the images of the document in a sort mode, and outputting one set of all images of the document in a document inputting order first and then repeating such outputting by a number of copies in accordance with given image forming conditions, thereby printing the images corresponding the sheets of the documents in a named operation order.

Claim 21

An image forming method according to claim 16, wherein the first and second image forming step includes: a step of outputting the images of the document in a group mode, and outputting an image of a first sheet of the document in a n inputting order by a number of copies, outputting an image of a second sheet of the document in the inputting order by the number of copies, an outputting images of remaining sheets of the document in a same manner, in accordance with given image forming conditions, thereby printing the images corresponding the sheets of the documents in a named operation order.

Claim 22

An image forming method according to claim 16, wherein the first and second storing step includes: a step of directly storing images read by the reading step; a step of compressing the images stored in the first storing step; and a step of storing the images compressed in the compression step.

Claim 23

An image forming method according to claim 16, wherein the serial image forming step includes: performing image forming using the images stored in the first storing step at a time the plurality of images corresponding to the series of sheets of the document are formed, set by set.